The Bronx Defenders Recognize O’Melveny as Top Collaborator in the Pursuit of Justice

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW YORK, NY—October 19, 2018—O’Melveny has been honored by The Bronx Defenders with a 2018 Collaborator In Pursuit of Justice Award for its participation in a habeas corpus representation project for detained immigrants. 

Following the executive order on border security that directed the Department of Homeland Security to ensure that immigrants were not “abusing” the asylum or humanitarian parole processes, many detained asylum seekers stopped receiving release on parole. Mobilizing to meet the growing need for habeas corpus representation among detainees, O’Melveny lawyers joined The Bronx Defenders, Brooklyn Defender Services, Arnold & Porter, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, Covington & Burling LLP, and Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP to represent several clients.

“These clients were being were held in county jails with no bond hearing or any review of their custody,” said O’Melveny partner Mark Racanelli, who serves on The Bronx Defenders’ Board of Directors. “We were honored to join The Bronx Defenders and other like-minded firms to stand up for their due process rights to bond hearings.” 

In addition to Racanelli, O’Melveny’s team on the project included attorneys Antoinette Rangel, Nate Asher, Dan Franklin, David Lukmire, Marjorie Truwit, Shara Venezia-Walerstein, Eddie Moss, Charles Mahoney, Carolyn Appel, and Dan Cantor.

In Pursuit of Justice Award winners are selected on their commitment to fairness, justice, and equality. The Bronx Defenders presented this year’s honors at its Annual Gala in NYC.

A leading nonprofit whose mission is to radically transform how low-income people in the Bronx are represented in the justice system, The Bronx Defenders represents 27,000 low-income area residents in criminal, civil, child welfare, and immigration cases each year, and reaches thousands more through its community intake and outreach programs. O’Melveny’s relationship with the organization spans several years, and has afforded the firm the opportunity to serve numerous clients in matters ranging from asylum to tenant’s rights.

About O’Melveny

It’s more than what you do: it’s how you do it. Across sectors and borders, in boardrooms and courtrooms, we measure our success by yours. And in our interactions, we commit to making your O’Melveny experience as satisfying as the outcomes we help you achieve. Our greatest accomplishment is ensuring that you never have to choose between premier lawyering and exceptional service. So, tell us. What do you want to achieve? For the answers, please visit www.omm.com. 

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